Steam generator



Nov.6,1945.

G.A.SKAGGS 5 TEAM GENERATOR Filed April 20, 1944 67447 ,Sfiayys Patented Nov. 6,, 1945 fUNl' llED STATES PATE STEAM GENERATOR Glen Andersonskaggs, Portsmouth, Vaf L Q Application April 20 1944 Serial No. 531,931 7 4 Claims.

'The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in power plants and more particularly to a steam driven turbine and has for its primaryobject to provide a pulsating steam generator whereby the water supply has no direct connection with the steam generating chamber and steam'cannot' escape into the delivery pipe until the pressure has built u sufliciently for operating the turbine.

In carrying out this object I provide a pressure responsive valve having spring means for normally maintaining the valve in closed position and arranged to open when a predetermined steam pressure is generated to then feed the steam to the turbine. I

"A further important object of the invention is to provide automatically controlled water supply means for the steam chamber which is also regulated by the aforesaid valve. a

' A still further object i to provide a steam generator of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in performance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying'drawing forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

I Figure 1 is a side elevational view with parts broken away and shown in section, and Y H Figure 2 is a sectional View taken substantially on a line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein for thepurpose of illustration-I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numera15 designates a turbine housing supported on a, suitable base 6 by meansof legs or the like 1 and rotatably mounted in the housing is a turbine Wheel 8 of conventional construction, such as-indicated in Patent No.-l,654,889, dated January 3, 1928. The shaft on which the turbine wheel is rotatably mounted is indicated at 9.

Secured to one side of the casing are brackets 'II] on which a water tank or reservoir II is supported and also secured to one of the brackets Ii) is a steam chamber I2, the chamber preferably being of elongated form arranged in a horizontal position and supported at one end by a leg I3.

Suitably secured in the chamber l2 and spaced from the longitudinal walls thereof is a cylinder l4 having a cylindrical valve housing I5 extend-V ing from one end thereof. The cylinder I 4 has a piston I5 working therein and the piston rod I1 constitutes a valve working in the valve housing I5. Also positioned in thevalve housing I5 behind the valve I! is a coil spring! adapted to urge the piston toward an opposite'end of the cylinder I4 short of closing a port I9 communicating with the steam chamber I2. The'tension of the spring I8 is adjusted by mean of a screw 20 threaded through the adjacent end of the valve chamber. The piston It has a. stop member I-S' extending axially from its end for limiting the movement thereofby the sp-ring 18 to prevent the piston from closing the port 19. That is to say, themember I6 comes in contact with the end of the cylinder I4so asto prevent the piston I6 from closing the port I9, I i

IA. priming cup 2| is also secured to the side of the casing 5 and has a pipe 22 feeding from the bottom thereof through the top of the steam chamber I2 and also through thetop of the valve housing I5 for communicationwith a groove 23 formed in the valve I1. A short pipe 24 extends downwardly from the valve housing I5 in vertical alignment with the pipe 22,'thelower end of the pipe 24 terminating above a cup or recess '25 formedin the bottom of the steam chamber I2; Immediately below the cup 25 is a lamp, burner or other heating element 26;

A horizontal partition 2! is placed in the priming cup 2| having vent openings 28 therein nor-, mally' closed by a valve 29 positioned against the underside of the partition 21 and held in a. closed position by a coil spring '30'engaging the head 3| formed on the upper end of the stem 32 extending from the valve 29 upwardlyand slidably through the partition. Obviously, water may be placedin ment of the valve to register with a port 34 formed in the bottom of the valve housing I 5 and a pipe 35 leading from the top of the valve housing, I5 into a jet passage 36 communicating through a side of the casing 5 withthe turbine wheel 8. The port 34 in the valve housing I5 communicates with the steam chamber so as to admit steam from the chamber to the turbine wheel by way of the groove 'r- OFF f Figure 1 of the drawing by the spring l8 and prior to the generation of steam in the chamber 12,. whereby the groove 23 in the valve I! will provide communication between the pipes 22 and 24. By manually opening the valve 29 the vent 28 will be opened whereby to permit water from the priming cup 2| to pass through the pipes 22 and 24 into the steam generating cup 25.

At the same time the groove 33 will be out of registry with the port 34- and pipe 35, and accordingly when, heat is applied to the water in the steam generating cup 25- the steam will be col' lected in the chamber 12 and enter the port l9" behind the piston l6. When a predetermined pressure of steam has been generated the piston l-G will be moved toward the right against the tension. of the spring 18 whereby tomove the groove23 out of registry with the pipes 22 and 24 to close communication with the priming cup and tomove the groove 33 into registry with the port 34 and. pipe 35 to permit passage of the steamfrom the steam chamber l2 to the jet. passage 36 for operating the turbine wheel 8. At the same time the groove 23 inthe valve stem H: will be moved into registrywith the pipes 31 and 38 whereby to supply the groove 23 with water. Accordingly when the pressure of the steam has been lowered through its consumption inoperating the turbine, the spring 18 will move-thepiston l6 and valve H toward the left to again. bring the groove 23 into. registry with the pipes 22 and and the water which has been collected in the groove-23 will then be deposited into the steam. generating cup 25 and the groove 33 will be moved. out of registry with the port 34 and pipe 35 whereby steam. will again be generated in thechamber I2 for repeating the operation.

Avent opening 40 is formed in the lower portion of. the pipe 221 to facilitate discharge of the water from the groove 23 into the steam generating cup.

Any number of devices forming the subject matter of this invention as heretofore described in detail may be. provided on the turbines for the actuation of the rotors thereof.

It is believed the details of construction, operation and advantages of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

l. A steam generator of the kind described comprising a steam generating chamber, a valve casing in the chamber, a steam feedpassage leading from the chamber through the casing to the utility to be supplied with steam, a Water supply pipe communicating with the casing, a water dis-, charge pipe leading from the casing to the chamher, a steam pressure responsive piston" having a cylindrical valve connected thereto and working in the valve casing, said valve having spaced circumierential grooves therein, one of said grooves being adapted to register with the steam passage to open and close communication therethrough and the other groove being adapted to alternately register with the water feed and discharge pipes to periodically supply water to the steam generating chamber, and spring means normally urging the valve in one direction against the action of the steam pressure but yielding to movement of the valve in the opposite direction under pressure of steam generated in said generating chamber.

2. A steam generator of the kind-described comprising a steam generating chamber, a steam feed passage leading from the chamber to the utility to be supplied with steam, a water feed passage communicating with the chamber, an encased reciprocatory steam pressure responsive J valve having spaced circumferential grooves therein and adapted to register respectively with the steam and water passages to alternately open and close communication therethrough to said steam generating chamber, and a manually operated'. priming cup communicating with the steam generating chamber through one of said valve groovestosupply water tosaid chamber for starting generation of steam therein.

3. A steam generator of the kind described comprisingv a steam generating chamber, a steam feed passage leading from the chamber to the utility to be supplied with steam, a water feed passage communicating with the chamber, an encased reciprocatory steam'pressure responsive valve having spaced circumferential grooves therein and adapted to register respectively with the steam and water passages to alternately openand close communication therethrough to said steam generating chamber, a manually operated priming cup communicating with the steam generating chamber through one of said valve grooves to supply water to said chamber for starting generation of steam therein, and spring means urging the valve into a position with the priming cup in feed-ing position but yielding to movement of said valve in'theopposite direction under pressure of steam generated in said: generating chamber.

4. A steam generator of the kind described comprising a steam generating chamber, a cylinder arranged in said chamber and having an elongated cylindrical valve casing at one. end, said cylinder having communication with the generating chamber at its other end, a piston working in said valve cylinder, an. elongated valve connected to the piston and working in; the'valve casing, said valve having longitudinally spaced circumferential grooves therein, a steam passage leading from the chamber through the valve casing to the utility to be supplied with steam and with. which steam passage one of. thergrooves of said valves is registerable. a water supply pipe leading to the valve casing and. a water discharge port in the valve casing communicating with the steam chamber and adapted for alternate registry with another of said valve grooves, a supply pipe leading to the valve casing in alignment with the discharge port, and spring means urging the valve into a position for registering said last named groove with said priming. supply pipe and the discharge port, said piston being. responsive to a predetermined steam pressure generated in the chamber to close the discharge port and open the steam feed passage.

GLEN ANDERSON SKAGGS. 

